Testing instrument



Au ZII, 1923. BAM

J. B.' PATTON 'TESTING INSTRUMENT Filed sept. 30. 1922 &

II M

specific form shown ii atented Aug. Zl, 1923.

JOHN B. PATTON, 01 ELNFIELD, NE I/ JERSEY.

''STNG INSTBUIENT.

Application filed September 30, Serial No. 59i,4=9 7.

TO all whom Z may concern: y

Be it known that l, J OHN B. EATTON, a citi- Zen of the United States and a resident of Flainfield, County of Union, State .of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful inprovements in Testing Instruments, e of Which the 'following 1s a specincatlon.

My lnventlon relates totestlngin `uinents Or tools of a character adapted "for testing liquids, Solutions, lquo'rs or the like to assertaln either the presence or absence oi various Substances or salts n such llqulds, and also the quantity OI' proportions of the salts or substances contained or dissolved therein.

Ainong the obj ects ott lny invention is ,the provision of an instrument or tool of the character indicated that Will toniatically measure definite quantities' o'j iquid` to be tested such that the addition"tl1ereto o'l" known quanttiesoi thetest reagents Will not onlyindicate the presence or absence O Certain substances in the liquid being tested butalso the strength of the Solution or the proportions in Which such substances are present. That is, my inVent-i'on, provides both a qualitative and quantitative testing device.

EXJO my nventionprovidcs a 'deyce of the `Character indicated that may be used byun-` sklled operatives, enabling such readily to test and aseertain both qualitatyely t and quantitatively the character and contents of" Solutions, liquors and the like, Without re qniring special knowledge of the 'nature Or character of the reagents or reactions einployed or the calculations involved.

Also Iny invention provides a tool 'that may be used, and accurate tests made, in situations and conditions Wherein testing" devices hitherto known and used could not be einployed, as, for example, on ships, boats, trains and conveyances where the oscillation or Vibration causes constant shiiting of levels 'and .precludes reirdingof level marks or granuations as usnally employed in instru nients of this character.

have illustrated one form of my inven- :ion in the accompanying drawing, it being understoodtlrat it is not restricted to 'the butnlay be embodied in other and modified forms. 'The 'tonn l havechosen for illustration isrnore particularly adapted to the testing of boiler, Water for steam engines and particularly for marine bolers, for which purpose my invention'is tion that either itself inert totheliquids and reagents With Which it comes in contact, or that is coated With enainel or paint Sllllarly inert. As shown, the box or reccptacle l, is generally rectangular Or Square in Cross section, this :form notonly affording coinpactness and :tacility of packing ina portable f testing Outfit or compartment thereof, along` With the vials or bottles containing` the requisite reagents, butals'o afi ording a 'lat bottoln or base on Which the' instrument may stand', as in Figure l, Without upsetting or loss of contents When in use, and Without requiring a holder or special support.

The box or i'eceptacle l is closed on all sides and ends, except for an opening or Inouth 2, through Which the 'same is filled and einptied. On the upper side or Wall, on one side Olt said opening, a handle 3 is provided of any convenient and suitable form; The handle 3 may be supported in ears 4b, 4, projecting troni the upper side of the device, Which ears may be soldered, brazed, Welded or otherwise secured to said side or wall of the device.

The box or receptacle 1 is narrowed 'or ta-` pered as at 5 to reduce its capacity or dimensions at this end :for a purpose l'ierea'lter more fully explained. V

n the upper side or Wall of the receptaele 1 are provided two' Orifices or apertures G and i', respectively, the latter being in the narrou'ed or tapered end of 'the instrument. These oriiiees are so placed, respectively, that the levels of the liquid in the receptacle determined thereby measure definite quantities,

and referably the quantity measured bythe orifiee in the narrowed 'end of the receptacle that measured by the larger end of the receptacle. The purpose and 'function 'of these orii'ice's will more fully appear in the following. V V

The' interior of the receptacle l should pre- Sent a White surt'ace in order to show readily the Color Changes ofthe' :liquid being tested. This inay be obtained by coating the interior surface of the receptacle with a White' inert enarnel paint or Varnish. A AS before stated the instrument as shown and described is espeeia-lly adaptedter the testing of boiler water for marine and boat engines. n using' it :for this purpose, the

prsence and proportion of alkal and chlorine are principally tested tor, to determine whether the water is suitable 'for use' in the boilcrsior whet 1er it requires treatment to render ic suitable For such purpose the instrument is Operated as follows or determining the alkali" Content, the instrument held niore or less horizontally by its handle 3 is dipped into the water to be testedso that aquantity thereot enters through open` ing 2., is then withdrawn and heldin Vertieal position, as in Fin. 2. with the tapered ornarrowed end 5 upperinost. Tliereupon the surplus Water will escape until. the level thereof retained in the instrument rests at the level. of the orifice 6,. This orifice is so placed that with the instrument in the Vertical position described it autoinatically measures a definitequantity of the water tained in tlie instrument; for this purpose, say six cubio inches, or 100 c. C. The ineas ured amount ot'water having been thus ob tained the instrument is turned to a sub i stantially horizontal position and a suitable.

alkali test reagent or indicator, say plienolphthalein, added, and nnxed well with the water in the instrument by tiltinu or rock inn' the latter. A lf the water .is allnline the contents of the instrument Will turn ared Color, the white interior surtace of the instrument nialinr the Color change readily point readily perreptihle owiu to the white interior surtace of the instrument. The number ol? drops of acid required to etl'eet this Color change in tlie'iueasired quantity (6 cu. in.) of water in the receptacle Will indicate'the number of grains of allali (soda ash) in each allon of the water. The en- 'Thereupon several drops ot an to the boiler gineer will thus readily ascertain whether the alkali Content of his boiler Water eXceeds the allowable or proper limit.

The instrument also provides for determining the chlorine content or salinty of the boiler water. For this purpose a quantity r of the Water is dip'pednp with the tool held substantially horizontally, as before described. lt is then turned and held in 'Verti- Ca'l position with its narrowed or taperel end lowerniost, as'i n Fig. 3. CT, the same sample, tested for alkali maybe used for determining the chlorine content the narrowed end lowei'inost .l n either case the surplus water will run out of the instrument until the quantity retained therein reaches the level i This aperture is so placed. and the nan l'OWOCl dimensionsot the instrument at this end are such as to'automatically ineasure this retainedquantity as say, sX-tenths oz a cube ineh, or 10 e. e. The instrument is then turned substantially horizontal. i indi cator. such potassiuin chroinate are added and. mixed, well with the retaiiiedcontents of the instrument by tilting or rocling` the saine until the iquid assumes a yellow eolor Tlien silver nitrate is slowly added thereto by counted drops, miiing well between drops, as described, until the Color changes :troni yellow to, red and remains red. .For

by turning the instrument into .Vertical position with' determined by aperture each drop of the latter reagent required to effect this latter Color change ten giains 'of chlorine If the water to be tested should teste fresh, containing say, less than 50 grains Chlorine per allon, more accurate results ]nay be obtained by using the larger (or si);

per gallon are present in the water. i

cu. inehes) end- 'of the instrument to measure the quantity taken for test. *In that Case, the test is performed as before, but one grain of chlorine per grallo n is countedfor each drop ot thelsilver nitrate required to produce the permanent red Color.

W here the water to be tested is Very dense 'or salt, containingsay, over 500 grains of Chlorine per gallon, sutliciently aceurzite results inay he inore quickly obtained by 'first dilutingtthe water to ten per cent before applying the reagents. vMy' instrument read:

ily pro ides :for this condition and method by using the same as'followsz--FH` in the manner before described, the narrowed end With the waterto be tested by turning the instrumentto the position shown in Fiex then slowly invert the instrument until the larger end is lowermost, as in Fiure 2; then slowly add :Fresh water' through, openin 2 until the level reaches aperture 6. Since the capacity of the narroweo end is one tenth that of the larger end aii accurate ten per cent dilution is thus" readily obtained. The instrument is then again ini Heretofore, for tests such as described more or less delicate glass instruments` have been required and the Services of more or less skilled analysts or chemists to nse them. Such instruments are subject to' breakage,

particularly on voyages and eXpeditons where it is impossible to replace them. Furthermore such instruments require the reading of liquid levels against gradnation marks on glass tubes or the like; but the rolling and pitching of ships and the Vibration of engines producing corresponding changes constantly in the liqnid levels, render such readings practically impossible. My invention obvates these difiicnlties and disadvantages, since the instrument is of rngged construction, and, being of metal or like material, is nnbreakable. Having no gradnation marks, no reading of a shifting liqnid level is required, the definite measurements being antomatically made by the overflowof the liqnid. No special skill is reqnired in the use of the instrument other than holding it in the required positions and counting drops. Its white interior renders color changes readily visible, and it requires no supporting stand, since its form and flat bottom Snrface enables it to stand securely on a table or shelf and insnres against it being overtnrned, while the intermediate position of the opening 2 between the closed or covered in ends prevents slopping over of the contents that might otherwise occur from oscillations or vibrations of a ship,

boat or conveyance on which it was used.

It may readily be packed, taking up little space, in a case or compartment, along With the vials 'and droppers holding 'a supply of the reagents referred to, the whole forming a compact, complete testing ontfit readily carried on ships, trains and the like and used in places generally inaccessible to ordinary testing On chemical appliances, and by persons other than skilled analysts or chemists.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the form and details of my invention, and it may be employed for testing various other liqnids, without departing from the essential principles thereof.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An instrument of the character described comprising a receptacle having a month inone side thereof intermediate the ends, and a contents-measnring orifice in said side between said month and one of the ends, whereby the receptacle may be filled when said side is in a substantially horizontal position and its Contents measured when said side is in asubstantially vertical position.

2. An instrument of scribed comprising a 7 closed sides and ends, a month in one side intermediate the ends, and a contentsmeasnring orifice on each side of said month and between the same and the respective ends, said orifices positioned to measure respectively a larger and a smaller quantity of liqnid when one end of the instrument or the other is in a downward position.

3. An instrument of the character described comprising a receptacle having one end portion thereof -of narrower Cross-section than the other, a month in one side of the receptacle intermediate said end portions, and a contents-measuring orifice in each O' said end portions.

4. An instrument of the character described comprising a receptacle closed as to its sides and ends, a month in one side thereof intermediate the ends, a contentsmeasnring orifice between said month and One endand a similar orifice between said month and the other end, said orifices being positioned respectively to measure automatically different and relatively proportional quantities of liqnid in the receptacle when the receptacle is turnedwith one or the other end downward.

5. An instrument of the character described eomprising a receptacle closed as to its sides and ends, said receptacle having a larger interior Cross section throughout a portion of its length, and having a smaller Cross-section in theremainder of its length, a month in one side of said receptacle intermediate its ends, a Contents-measnring orifice in the larger cross-Sectional portion ol' the receptacle, and a similar orifice 'in the portion having the smaller Cross-section.

6. An instrument of the character described comprising a receptacle closed as to its sides and ends, a month in one of said sides intermediate the ends, a contentsmeasnring orifice in said side, and a :Hat surface on the opposite side to form a bottom on which the instrument may rest.

JOHN B PATTON.

the character dereceptacle having 

